I have made this a few times in the last couple months, so I wanted to be sure to get it recorded before I lose the recipe! I have been subbing out the sweet potato for a regular potato but other than that follow the directions pretty closely. I love to make this on Monday and then have it on hand for breakfast during the week! I top it with one egg and have a delicious and hearty breakfast to power me through my morning!

I went to make these roasted veggies again this week and realized I have never posted the recipe here...which is crazy because I make these all the time! I don't even remember where I initially found the recipe, but it was part of a complete meal and the veggies were what spoke to me so I make them as a side often now.

I have no idea where I found this recipe! When I printed it out the link didn't show up at the bottom of the page so now I have no clue despite trying to search again. This was simple, easy and flavorful! We served it with rice initially but there was enough leftover that I ended up eating it for lunch a couple days with the Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi...which I am obsessed with by the way!

Directions:
Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper and Place in a 5-7 qt slow cooker.
Top with onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, red pepper and broth.
Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.
Sprinkle with parsley.

A friend of mine has recently started eating a vegan diet and has been sharing all kinds of plant-based recipes. I have been excited to try them out and so far everything I have tried has been really good! When I first made this soup I was SUPER nervous! It made tons, required some work and was bright green and not all that appetizing looking haha! But looks can be deceiving and it was surprisingly good! I portioned out the big batch into smaller containers and have been having it a few times a week for lunch. I love eating soup all the time, but especially in cold weather and to me this is a great replacement for the green smoothies I just can't bring myself to drink when I am already cold. Definitely try this one out!

Directions:
Add broth to a soup pot - saute the onions until translucent and fragrant.
Add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook a few more minutes, stirring them around to tenderize.
Then add some salt, cauliflower and veggie broth. Bring soup to a boil and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Once the cauliflower is cooked through, add the kale to the soup and let it wilt for a few minutes.
Then at this point I like to take the kale and put it in the blender with the soaked cashews, chickpeas and about 2 cups of the broth and blend that puppy smooth.
Pour that back into the soup and finish it off by stirring in the brown rice! (You'll notice, for the sake of beauty, I held off blending the soup until after I took the pic because it looks like this...)

(picture and recipe from Fashionable Foods)
Spaghetti and meatballs is one of my kids' favorite meals and I have used many recipes for meatballs over the years. During the past year none of my older recipes were really doing it for me when I attempted to adjust them to be gluten free so I went searching for something else and found this winner. The meatballs are moist, but stay together, and they pack in lots of flavor considering they are a pretty healthy version. This has been our go-to meatball recipe for quite some time now so I am finally documenting it to make it easier to find!

Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat and enough of the olive oil to coat the skillet. Using a medium or large ice cream/cookie scoop*, scoop out the meatballs and drop them directly into the pan. Let them cook for about 30 seconds or until brown, then flip them over using a spoon (I found this was the easiest in order to keep them intact). Cook them until brown on the other side, about 30 seconds, and then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Repeat with remaining meat – you’ll end up with about 18-20 meatballs using a large scoop, and about 30-35 with a medium scoop.

Transfer the meatballs to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes for the large size, or 15 minutes if you used a medium-sized scoop. The meatballs will be firm to the touch when finished.

I haven't been posting any of our new favorite recipes because I have been lazy about taking pictures, but then when I want to make them again I am frustrated that I have to search and find them...so I'm just borrowing other people's pictures and getting some posted!

First up is this delicious new recipe I found for shredded beef. I adjusted things a bit from one I found on allrecipes.com and I really loved! Flavorful and juicy and absolutely heavenly when served in freshly fried corn tortilla shells!

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rings

1 (2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomato salsa

1/2 cup beef broth

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Layer half the onion rings into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place chuck roast on top of onions.

My sister discovered this amazing gluten-free creation at the Nordstrom café, shared it with my mom, and then my mom found the recipe HERE and made it while I was in town recently. Although my mom thought it was better baked in individual portions because the edges were able to get more of a crunch to them, this is the only version I have tried and I thought it was heavenly!!!

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10-by-3-inch springform pan and dust it with a few tablespoons of almond flour. Shake the pan until the flour is distributed evenly across the bottom and sides. Or, for individual portions, lightly butter 8-ounce crème brûlée dishes.
2. In a stand mixer, add almond flour, polenta, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Mix on low speed to combine.
3. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, to form a smooth batter. Once eggs are incorporated, add butter and continue mixing until combined; do not overwork.
4. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in blueberries, trying not to break them, until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
5. With a spatula, transfer batter to prepared baking dishes (about 6 ounces for each individual baking dish, if using). Set aside to make the buckle topping.

1. In a stand mixer, add the almond flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Mix on low speed and add butter, mixing until the topping resembles wet sand.
2. Top the cake(s) with an even coating of the buckle topping (about 2 tablespoons each for the individual portions).
3. Transfer to oven and bake until golden on top and the center is set, about 50 minutes (or 20 minutes for the individual portions.
4. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool at least 1o minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature after dusting with confectioner’s sugar and placing a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.

We were having company so I decided to make some yummy rice to go along with our usual sides for the steak fajitas we are currently obsessed with. My kids don't love rice, but I do, so I don't make it that often because I end up eating literally the entire batch haha! But even the kids liked this new version! I was pretty impressed with how legit it tasted I must admit. Maybe a tad too much tomato taste, but really on the whole it was quite authentic. I found the recipe, and the first picture, on Fabulously Delicious and we will definitely make it whenever we are having people over for a Mexican-type meal!

I have only occasionally stopped into Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factories for treats, but the Avalanche Bars definitely made an impression on me! While looking for some new dinner recipes to try last week I stumbled upon this version by Cookies & Cups and knew we had to try them. My oldest and her friend actually made these all on their own (hence the handfuls of chocolate chips on top haha) and they turned out so amazingly delicious! We will definitely make them again and again and again! Also, the recipe just makes a square baking dish worth which is nice because then you can enjoy them for a couple days without being tempted anymore :)!

Directions
In microwave-safe bowl pour in white chips and heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.
Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips and add the krispies.
Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.
Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard.
Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.
When the bars are completely cooled cut into squares and enjoy!

We have made these steak fajitas from Mel's Kitchen Cafe a few times already since discovering them only a couple weeks ago! My grocery store sells "stir-fry steak" that is already cut into thin strips so it makes this the easiest and most flavorful meal! I get the meat marinading the day before and then we grill them up right before meal time and the flavor is out of this world. I haven't even ever made the chipotle sour cream that she included in the original recipe. I sautee some onion and peppers that have been cut into strips and we also top them with guacamole and cilantro (and a little cheese for some of the family). We have charro beans on the side with some chips and salsa and it has become my kids' favorite meal of the week!
(I provide corn and flour tortillas)

Directions:
For the fajitas, whisk together the oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt, paprika, and coriander. Place the steak in a dish (like a 9X13-inch pan) and pour the marinade over the top, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat grill to medium-high (I set my pellet grill to 375 degrees). Grill the steak until desired doneness; 4-6 minutes for medium rare (add time if needed for a more well-cooked piece of meat). Remove the steak from the grill and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the chipotle sour cream, stir all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate (can be made 2-3 days in advance).
Serve the steak slices on tortillas with the chipotle sour cream and any other favorite toppings or sautéed or grilled peppers and onions.

We have tried a few recipes recently that we LOVE and have been making on a fairly regular basis and this is one of them (I need to get around to blogging the rest as well!). The ingredients and the process are so simple, but the flavors are amazing. This is one of our favorite meatless meals! Nearly as good as being back in Italy ;-)!

Instructions
Cook pasta. Set aside, or while pasta is cooking prepare sauce.
In large skillet, heat oil and butter over low heat.
Sauté the garlic until fragrant over low heat, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add basil, and pasta to pan with tomatoes.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until all pasta is heated through.
Just before ready to serve, pour into serving bowl, toss with fresh mozzarella and grated cheese. Serve at once with additional grated cheese, and more fresh basil if desired.

I was looking for a new meatless meal to try when I came across Yummy Mummy Kitchen's Lasanga Cupcakes and was intrigued! (her picture above) I did one tray as she directed and one with only veggies and no noodles and they were sooo yummy! Easy to put together, easy to clean up and super easy to devour. I wanted to be sure to save this recipe because I will definitely be making them again!

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package instructions. Set on a lightly oiled cookie sheet so that the sheets don’t stick together.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and basil until well combined. Set aside.
Spoon tomato sauce into 12 muffin cups to coat the bottom. Cut cooked lasagna sheets into 2-inch pieces, or 2-inch rounds if you have a cookie cutter. Place one piece of lasagna noodle in each cup over the sauce. Top with 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture. Top ricotta with one slice of zucchini, mozzarella, and eggplant and press gently into the ricotta. Cover vegetables with a layer of tomato sauce. Top with a teaspoon of the ricotta mixture. Cover ricotta with a second sheet of pasta, then spread tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
You may have enough ingredients left over to make about 5 more, so go ahead and do so in a second muffin tin!
Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to release cups.

YUM!!! This meal was so easy and so tasty! Great for kids because they can personalize it themselves and it would be great for meal prepping too. The main recipe below is from Skinnytaste, but I used Mel's Kitchen Cafe's hummus/yogurt recipe (it is our go-to all the time!). I served ours with pita bread (for the kids) and with a mix of quinoa and cauliflower-rice for Mike and I. Plus topping choices of cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese. A definite hit in our house!

Chicken:
1 pound (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 medium lemon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to tasteDirections:
Place the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, in a Ziploc bag. Pound each breast to an even thickness, about ½-inch thick, being careful not to puncture the bag. Place pounded chicken breasts back into bag and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, red pepper, salt and black pepper and whisk again.
Pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken, massaging it to evenly coat. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Over medium-high heat, grill the chicken for 3 minutes or until it no longer sticks to the grill. Turn the chicken and grill an additional 3-4 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes then slice it thinly, across the grain. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons sauce and a sprinkle of parsley. Yogurt-Hummus Sauce:
2/3 cup Greek yogurt (nonfat or regular)
1/3 cup hummus (storebought or homemade)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cuminDirections:
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add hot water a teaspoon at a time to thin the sauce, if needed.

I've been incorporating a little meal-prepping into my routine for awhile now (nothing too crazy yet), and was excited when I came across this recipe to add some new flavors to me usually weekly lunches. If you make it as described below it isn't the healthiest lunch option but with a few easy changes it fits the bill for sure. I used low fat greek yogurt instead of heavy cream and served over cauliflower rice with roasted veggies. The sauce was heavenly!

Instructions:To cook butter chicken: Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions and cook onions down until lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Add the chicken, tomato paste, and spices. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until everything is cooked through. Add the heavy cream and simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. To make naan: Combine the garlic, butter, cilantro and butter in a small bowl. Set aside. Divide pizza dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough into a small circle using a rolling-pin. Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough in the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and spread with the garlic butter mixture. Cook until done. Repeat the same until all dough is done.To cook rice:Wash rice until it runs clear then rinse. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

To Assemble: Measure 1 cup of cooked rice into each meal prep container. Pour about 1 cup of the butter chicken on the rice. Wrap a naan with foil or plastic wrap. To heat, microwave containers for 2 minutes or until steamy. Microwave naan for just 20 seconds.

I made this recipe expecting it to be something healthy I could have for lunches for a few days after everyone else in the family complained at dinner time. BUT it was surprisingly flavorful and quite a hit! I served it with garlic bread for everyone else to dip in the soup and we all loved it! I will definitely be making it again, especially in this cold weather. Thanks to The Lyons' Share Wellness for another great one! (my adaptations included in the recipe below)

Instructions:
Chop all your vegetables and add all ingredients (besides broth) to the crockpot.
Pour broth on top of all ingredients, allowing the spices to get mixed into the dish.
Give it a good stir. Set your crockpot on low for 6 hours or so.
(I had cooked a bunch of ground turkey and onion the day before so I left it out until the last couple hours and then added it in)
*Notes from Megan.. I usually stir once throughout the cooking process, but you really don’t have to. You shouldn’t stir TOO much, because it allows a ton of heat to escape from the crockpot. (If you don’t have a crockpot, brown the turkey first in a frying pan, then add all ingredients to a large pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes or so – the longer the better!).*
Ladle into bowls and add toppings of choice (she chose nutritional yeast and avocado, but suggests cheese, cilantro, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or tortilla chips). Enjoy!
If made according to these instructions (for 5 servings pre-toppings), each serving will contain 174 calories, 3g fat, 21g carbs, and 17g protein.